Ask for saganaki in Greece and you might get a sizzling slab of fried cheese, a pan of mussels or, as at Nonòs, a bubbling dish of prawns in tomato sauce. Prawn saganaki is one of the meze on the menu at Nonòs Judd Street, our Greek Mediterranean kitchen and bar at 112 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NT, five minutes' walk from King's Cross St Pancras. Here's what the word means and how we make ours.
Named after the pan
In Greek cooking, saganaki isn't one dish but a family of them, all named after the small frying pan they're cooked in. A saganaki is a diminutive of sagani, a frying pan with two handles. The word came into Greek from the Turkish sahan, a copper dish, which itself was borrowed from Arabic.
Cheese, prawns or mussels
The best-known saganaki is an appetiser of fried cheese, melted in the pan until it bubbles and served with lemon juice, pepper and bread. Graviera, kefalograviera, kasseri, kefalotyri, sheep's milk feta and, in Cyprus, halloumi are all used. Then there are the seafood versions: garides saganaki with prawns and mydia saganaki with mussels, which are usually made with feta and a spicy tomato sauce.
In the United States and Canada, many Greek restaurants serve "flaming saganaki": the fried cheese is set alight at the table, often to a shout of "opa!", and put out with a squeeze of lemon. That tradition is said to have started in 1968 at a restaurant in Chicago's Greektown. Background from Wikipedia's saganaki page.
Our prawn saganaki
On our à la carte menu, the Prawn Saganaki is prawns in a spicy tomato and garlic sauce with ouzo, topped with crumbled feta and served with pitta bread to mop up the sauce. It's marked gluten free on the menu; please tell our team about any allergies when you order. It's served from noon until close.
Tom came for lunch and shared a spread: We ordered several small plates...prawn saganaki, beetroot and feta salad and gigantes beans
(Tom L., Google review). His verdict on all of it: All of it excellent.
(Tom L., Google review)
Build a meze table around it
Prawn saganaki is made for sharing. Pair it with some of our other meze: Kalamari, crispy fried baby squid with lemon; Gigantes Beans baked in tomato sauce; Oven Roasted Feta Cheese with onion, tomatoes, peppers and spicy pepper; and dips such as Tzatziki, Hummus and Tyrokafteri, the spicy feta and red pepper dip. Our guides to the Greek meze table, Greek dips and Greek seafood at Nonòs have more.
What to drink with it
There's already ouzo in the sauce, so a glass alongside makes sense; our post on how to drink ouzo explains how the Greeks take it. For something lighter, try a cold Mythos Greek lager, or a crisp white from our wine list, such as the Makedonikos White, fresh, light and citrussy, or the pine-scented Retsina. Our Greek wine guide has more.
“Incredible food and incredible staff especially Jan and Arlind.”
Michael, Google review, October 2026
Good to know
- Address: 112 Judd Street, King's Cross, London WC1H 9NT. Phone 020 7278 9700.
- Hours: Sunday to Wednesday 08:30–22:00, Thursday to Saturday 08:30–23:00. The à la carte menu starts at noon.
- Allergies: please speak to our team about allergies and dietary requirements. Menus may vary slightly by location and season.
Named after a little pan, and best shared. Book a table at Nonòs Judd Street or just walk in.